Finally Changed My Computer Table

It's been five years since I moved in to my own place and there had been one thing I was dying to change as the item, purchased via taobao.com, didn't meet my expectation! 

I locked in for pure white and the delivered product was purple white! Personally, it was an eyesore for the past few years but I didn't want to waste money by throwing it away. Hence, with the stability of the table getting increasingly bad in recent months; it's a perfect excuse for me to get a new one! 

As I didn't want to trouble the housekeeping team for the estate, I decided to dismantle the computer table myself earlier this morning. 100% satisfaction as each piece was taken out and I didn't have to hammer to break up the pieces.

Usually not a neat freak, it's weirdly pleasing to separate metals from wood. Oh well, I remember seeing that the blue recycling box at the void deck accepts metal, and thought I might as well do my little part for Mother Earth.

For ease of movement and reduce any risk of accident, given how clumsy I am, removal of this kind of jutting out nails would be necessary. 

Oops, broke the surface and revealing the chipped wood within. Quality wasn't great and I couldn't recollect the price I paid for this table, except that it's about S$200 plus, before shipping. 

Segregating the items for recycling purpose! 

So what's going to happen to the slabs of wood? I was contemplating whether to put them at the void deck but as the bin centre was just a short walk away; I decided to just bring them there myself; took me three trips as Alex was too busy with his bloody games. 

The empty space; to be frank, it's too narrow for me to get omnidesk and I could only accommodate tables with a width of only about 50 centimeters. Good for me though as omnidesk would have put a serious dent on my paltry savings.

Therefore, I got this functional beauty from vhive instead; it's in grey which is one of my preferred colors for furniture and came with drawers, which I didn't have previously. Costing me S$231.20 (including delivery and installation), let's hope it lasts longer than 5 years! 

Busy With the Home Improvement Programme at my Parents Place - Start of Renovation! #hip #homeimprovementprogramme

I have been kind of busy with the home improvement programme (HIP) offered by Singapore's housing board which aimed to resolve maintenance issues faced by flats built before 1986; major of which would be a massive overhaul of the two toilets! 

While my own flat had already undergone the programme before i purchased it two years ago, it's not the case with my parents' flat as they only received the notification last year (i think) with work starting last Thursday.

There's a need for me to help out as we needed to clear so many things and most importantly, i had to put up plastic sheets so that the items are shielded from the dust and debris. To be honest, i am so glad i didn't have to go through the ordeal. 

It's extremely hard work to put up the sheets and as close friends would know, i am easily the clumsiest person in Singapore; it's a wonder i manage to survive for so long! 

Three hours; and my dad and i were only done with the kitchen, the master bedroom and the television console. We didn't even have enough plastic sheets to cover the big altar and the sofa set. It didn't help that the tapes didn't do a fantastic job sticking themselves to the wall tiles and ceiling!  

And given my age, it was back breaking! Compared to my 66-year dad, however, i think it's still safer for me to be on the ladder and high chair; despite my clumsiness. 

Purposely taking leave the next morning, i arrived at my parents' place after buying extra plastic sheets and tapes; only to realise that some sheets had dislodged and we had to re-tape them! After the trial and error the night before, we were much faster in taping the sheets with the stronger masking tapes recommended by the paint shop. 

Pity we were not as fast as the workers who quickly laid the flooring with protection and set up more plastic sheets (probed with poles) to protect our furniture; the sofa set was already cordoned off and i made the "executive" decision to just leave it "uncovered".

Dad giving a thumbs-up; hoping the minor renovation would proceed smoothly without any hiccup as the poor man has to take leave to 'jaga' the house. 

Anyway, just two pictures of the empty toilets; one in the kitchen and another in the master bedroom. Rare to see them so empty and definitely looking forward to their new 'look' in two weeks' time!

Roller & Venetian Blinds For My 3-Room Flat - Renovation Part 5!

<<< Part 4

In my last post on the house renovation, there was indication that despite moving in officially, i continued to have some ideas on how to make my house more appealing and after procrastinating for quite a while, i finally decided to do away with the curtains and replace them with blinds.

With strong recommendation from a friend, i contacted Kenny from Sunscreen (Singapore) Private Limited; a bubbly gal who didn't hesitate to meet up with me to have a better idea of what i wanted even though the project value wasn't much.

As usual, my mind went bonkers with the differences of roller blinds and venetian blinds; both of which have their advantages (aesthetic) and disadvantages (maintenance). But a decision has to be made and my selection as follows: roller blinds for the bedroom and Venetian blinds for the living room! 

The torture continued with colour selection and in the case of roller blinds (known as rollscreens), the density of blackout! When given a lot of options, i usually opted for the safest and in this case, black for everything and total blackout for the roller blinds; they were totally aligned with the black-white theme of my house anyway. 

Quotation was submitted and accepted; appointment was made on a Saturday and before i knew it, the experienced workers had completed the installations! Shall unveil the final product shortly. 

Too bright a picture although you should be able to see that it was a lot more neater with the blinds as compared to the mass produced curtains which were too long and fluttered whenever i switched on the fan; offering peeks of my grotesque body for those unfortunate neighbours who happened to walk past. 

Overall, i was pleased with the Venetian blinds although i guess i would be complaining about the dust in time to come. The curtain rods shall remain as i might have other uses for it; presently, it is proving its worth as place for me to hang up clothes i have just ironed. 

Key advantage of Venetian blinds is definitely the aesthetic as it exudes a certain level of classiness. Pity i didn't have sufficient space for a cosy corner where i can drink a cup of tea while reading a novel by the window. 

Now on the bedroom with the rollite rollscreen (otherwise known as roller blind) which was charged at a much higher price because of the plates needed to conceal and provide support to the blind.

Realised i didn't take a photo immediately after the installation and the above was just taken earlier this evening! Frankly, i am really glad to have listened to Kenny's advice for the concealment even though the black curtain rod was an eyesore, at least for the moment. Maybe i can add in air plants or something.

With the blinds down; in the past, the curtain will still allow some residual light to seep into the room but with this blackout blind drawn, i am under the false impression that it is still night even at 10am! Aside from being super happy about the fact that i can sleep in better, there's a somewhat minimalist feel to the bedroom once you remove my adorable piggies! Damn, i think i should do something about that purplish white study table! 

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Contractor for Blinds

As above. You may also contact Kenny at 9782-8425.

Website for Sunscreen

http://www.sunscreen.com.sg/

Pricing
Total S$717.99 for two sets of Venetian blinds and one set of roller blind. Do email me (click "contact me") if you require the quotation. 

Renovation Part 4 - Moving In & My Review of RenoGuyz

<<< Part 3

Five months have passed since part 3 of the house renovation and now that i have stayed in the flat (and hosted quite a few gatherings) for a few months, i think it's about time for me to give an update coupled with the review of the contractor, RenoGuyz at the end!

Things should have been easier after the renovation but you are so wrong; the homeowner gets really busy after the renovation when the furniture comes in and you are on high gear for the move to make the place your home!

In my case, i got most of my furniture from taobao.com; while a courier company helped with the import and transport to my house, i had to assemble myself. Honestly, i was looking forward to the satisfaction of seeing the finished products i put together. I think it's a man thing.

There were a few big ticket items i got from taobao.com; an expandable dining table, a sofa bed, a television console and a study table.

Most were neatly packed by the manufacturers as i had contacted them individually to add in additional brackets / protection as the product(s) was for export to Singapore. There was the rare exception as the above shows.

If you enjoy assembling IKEA products with their given bolts and nuts, then buying from taobao might be for you. However, instructions are mainly in Chinese and even then, they are not as comprehensive as IKEA and that could be frustrating!

Take for example the TV console; there were two big blocks with a manual on how to fix them together and then, twenty over smaller pieces of wood with literally no information on how to put them together. I figured them out only after close to two hours!

TV Console - i found a similar set about 30 centimeters shorter in length in Singapore and it cost about S$700; i got this for less than S$400. Note the hole where a drawer should be; the face had fallen off. Key takeover - redress would be difficult as you couldn't get the manufacturer to come to Singapore just to fix it.

Expandable Dining Table - my most satisfactory big ticket item; don't be too quick to discount it as this can stretch till 2 meters and it has been most helpful whenever friends visit my house!

Study Table - I almost pulled out my hair assembling this as the quality was quite bad, instructions were unclear and i totally hated the colour as it was purplish white and i have asked for bright white.

Sofa Bed - this was the easiest as it came fully assembled except for the steel legs. If you prefer to have this convenience, look out for the Chinese characters ""整装". The one which requires assembling will indicated "组装".

Living near my parents means that the move to the new place doesn't require any professional movers! Having numerous pieces of luggage at home would benefit you as that's how i transport most of the items; from clothes, piggy banks, bottles of vodka to even my computer! Multiple trips are required though.

As of Chinese customs, a simple ritual is required to cleanse the new house before moving in and there's no one better than my superstitious mom to conduct it.

The one action that most Chinese would recall - roll the pineapple into the house so that the household can prosper! Sadly, my unit number had yet to strike the lottery.

Mom continuing with her ritual while her son stood stupidly at one corner, not knowing what else he can help with besides taking photographs of the mom. My only duty was to check the Chinese almanac beforehand to ensure that the day was favourable for house moving.

Don't ask me what has become of the pineapple - i believe my dad had slaughtered it to indulge on its sourish, sweet flesh since i don't have an altar in my new house.

Items bought and brought for the ritual - mine was really simplified as i noted there were others involving feng shui master, certain products that had to face the main door etc.

Cleaning continued after the ritual as the newly renovated house continued to be rather dusty and i absolutely couldn't stand the stinging smell of laminate glue used for carpentry! Thank god i had already purchased the Haier Robot Floor Cleaner!

I admit i salivate a lot when i sleep and it can be embarrassing whenever i sun my bolster outside the house. Hence, it's a need to get this waterproof bolster cover!

Two factors would determine if the house is ready; one, you can sleep in the house and secondly, you start to cook! I love my built in oven even though it was of a lower range.

First attempt of making something from scratch was a disaster though; the healthiest muffin (as claimed) was terrible-tasting and i was left with eleven pieces. Such a waste! 

The washing machine area - as the block i lived in is more than 30 years old, the rubbish chute is located inside the flat. I enjoy the convenience of throwing rubbish even when i am half naked even though some friends dislike it due to a higher chance of encountering the roaches. 

My quaint little black and white themed kitchen - it wasn't as big as the one in my parents' place and i regretted not extending the island space as i already found the area to be quite cramped when i do my cooking. Friends living in new flats / condominiums were however super envious as the space was just right for them! 

Living room - it's only been a few months but i am already thinking of new ideas for the house; a new set of blinds that should be much better looking than the curtains i currently have and maybe a new built in cabinet for the two dozen vodka bottles that are still in my parents' place! 

Well, to be continued i guess! 

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Review of RenoGuyz

Since i embarked on the blogging for my flat renovation, i have received comments and numerous emails asking me for the review of my contractor and i thought it's appropriate to come out with this piece a few months after moving in as after-completion service is still as important. 

Although i originally liaised with the boss, Nicholas, the main coordinator i worked with was actually Brayden. Now, Nic is famous in the renotalk forum for being a straight talker and that's something i value. Brayden is more diplomatic yet he wouldn't hesitate to give his two points when he feels that something is wrong; however, he can be a bit blur. 

Unlike horror stories told to me by friends who had gone through house renovations, mine was relatively mild and even when there were issues, they were quickly resolved. My major grouch was with doors; toilet doors and master bedroom door were of wrong colours compared to the catalogues! Fault was on their subcontractors (door manufacturers etc) and i can only say thank god the colours are still acceptable.

The door problem continued with my main gate which totally riled me up as the colour, brownish red, was totally unacceptable. My concept had always been black and white; hence, why would i choose a rusty looking red colour!? Eventually, they got the subcontractor to replace the gate even though i wasn't informed that it was to be re-sprayed, which means my house would be without a gate for a night and by that time, i had already moved in. 

Both Nic and Brayden were apologetic over the incidents and i can see they were trying their best to address the issues rather than coming out with dozens of excuses to save their asses. I don't expect perfection and from friends' reviews so far on their renovation journey, there's bound to be a few frustrating incidents. 

I held back my last payment as there were a few unresolved items involving paintwork and gaps in between tiles as i am also worried RenoGuyz would ignore me once i make full payment! Actually my fear is unfounded as they continue to entertain my questions, even today! 

Cost of Renovation: S$36,000 

(includes plumbing work and electrical). 

It never fails to solicit quotations from various sources and for discussion on your upcoming renovation, you may call Nicholas at 9690-7887 or Brayden at 8668-0899.